Shelley Cook

Shelley Cook graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania where she received a B.S. degree in Special Education. In 1982 she earned an M.A. in Education from Michigan State University. Shelley has 21 years of teaching experience working in special education, ESL, and gifted classrooms. She lived in Singapore with her family from 1991-1994, and is presently a third grade teacher in the Houston area. Email Shelley

“My vision for EarthTrek was to create a program that integrated all subject areas and addressed curriculum objectives. I wanted it to excite not only students, but teachers. EarthTrek allows us to travel virtually to countries all over the world. This program gives students an opportunity to work together towards a common academic goal, appreciate cultural differences, and develop a lasting enthusiasm for learning. Above all EarthTrek allows students to dream about a world beyond their own home and believe that they can succeed.”

Cynthia Alves

Cynthia Alves has 25 years of elementary teaching experience. She graduated from Southwest Texas University with a B. A. in English and the University of Houston with a Master of Education.Cynthia is presently teaching third grade, and lives in Spring, Texas with her husband and children

“For me the most exciting part of teaching is when the students are immersed in learning and are participating in an activity that captures their entire attention. When hands-on activities are used to reinforce concepts, students are engaged and skills are being applied at a high cognitive level. Students are excited about learning at this point, and teaching becomes more satisfying and fun for me."

Uchenna Agu

Uchenna E. Agu earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Communications and Business Administration from the University of Oregon, Eugene. Uchenna has accumulated over 20 years of sales, marketing and business building experience, having worked for KING-NBC, Phillip Morris, Emery, Level(3) Comm and ENRON. As a result of his win on the Emmy Award winning CBS show “The Amazing Race”, he became a motivational speaker. He has given speeches on teamwork, Adventure Travel and Living Boldly to Fortune 500 companies.

“After circling the globe twice as a contestant of The Amazing Race, my view of the world and my role in it was changed forever. I came away with the desire to share the wonders that I saw and the cultures that I experienced with children. I began doing talks and sharing my story one school at a time. Every group of kids I encountered asked the most intriguing questions about the people, places, and things I saw. I noticed how little the children knew about the world, and I found myself wanting to share the story of my journey with them. Then along came Shelly Cook and Cynthia Alves with this incredible program EarthTrek. This comprehensive program exposes students to the world and ties in every aspect of the curriculum. EarthTrek is exciting for students, teachers, and parents. It’s an honor for me to be a part of the EarthTrek team."